Airline execs discuss the future of European travel

Airline executives do not anticipate travel to Europe will resume ahead of the summer travel season. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian noted that London could be the first transcontinental destination to open up for Americans, adding, “There may be some occasional markets open this summer based on southern Mediterranean leisure traffic that people will be interested in.” However, many international travel restrictions remain in place, and even when they are lifted the industry expects a slow return to pre-pandemic demand. Brian Znotins, American Airlines’ vice president of network planning, explained, “You don’t expect to see demand just appear the day after a country opens, especially from a leisure point of view.”